French Air Force A400M first mission to Mali.
 

The French Air Force has flown its first operational sortie with an A400M Atlas in support of Operation Serval in Mali.


The A400M Atlas Goes to Mali | Think Defence

Does that mean we'll stop gifting C17 flight time to the Frogs now? I do hope so and then that'll put a stop to our lot 'in the Commons' saying that we need a Euro Armed Force sharing niche capabilities (cue pictures of UK C17 helping the French).

French Air Force A400M first mission to Mali.
 

What is wrong with sharing capability with allies?

In principle, nothing. But when our forces are as overstretched as they have been for years, it just makes things even more difficult.

To be fair, the Africa stuff has been a breath of fresh air. The problem has been the refusal to cancel other 'stuff', instead trying to squeeze ten pints of piss out of a one pint pot.

Back in 2007 or 2008 (murky memory) about 80-90%% of all pax transports for a larger exercise deployment by the UK Royal Marines to Norway was performed by C-130s and A310s from a NATO ally.

Wanna guess which one?

It was not something we in ATC had seen at Bardufoss ever, at that scale.

Interesting tie-down techniques...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bcy6behIcAAlRfg.jpg

So how much was freight and how much was the spares pack up

dunno, cant see behind the 'thermal blanket' :E

yes, not sure those wheels are lashed to 3g!

i presume thats looking forward VR due to the seat install, so its not the thingy you allude to.....

Perrrapps eet ees ze franchees trois Gee!?
Non urv yur eegleesh rubish 'ere!

To quote the link.

"carrying 22 tonnes of cargo, compared to 9 tonnes for a C130 carrying the same load."

Must be jorno speak because in my, albeit simple, mind the same cargo = the same weight?

Ah good spot so 9 tonnes of cargo and 13 tonnes of spares and special airbus support personnel :ok:

Arr I had forgotten that, thanks billynospares for reminding me.

Not that long after the aircraft was delivered. Well done them. I think it had been intimated on another thread how long it would take our [UK] aircraft to get into use.


I had to laugh at the lashing scheme. Certainly not 3g. But I did think (certainly in UK) that the concessions for only restraining to 3g would not be endorsed. I understood all cargo on the A400M was restrained to 9. The term grandfather rights was being banded about when we introduced the J to justify only 3. I did read up on this in AvP 970 some years back. Boscombe advice was that the aircrew were sat on a different level. (Loadmasters appeared not to count! - ah but they sat on the bunk during take off and landing!). Any pax were deemed to be on ops where it was assumed the "duty Holder*" accepted a lower standard. - never ever saw an OEC however.


* The term duty holder was not so prevalent in the vocabulary back then.


Looking forward to seeing our aircraft being put to good use.

Why is the radome black???? Other large machines generally use the aircraft scheme!

It needs a moustache painted on underneath that Gaelic nose!:cool:

The French are doing a lot of good stuff in Africa these days. And putting new platforms to the use for which they were intended. Is there some envy here about that?

As for sharing assets with allies, isn't that what certain treaties are about? Or do we all still think we can all do it alone. I'm pretty sure we can't.

JTO'

Standing room only!?

AD'